Your kids WILL thank you!

by Ben GlennADHD, InspirationPosted on Comments are Disabled

Being an advocate for your child is a LOT of work. Never for a moment doubt that it is a worthwhile investment of your time & energy. Some day your kids WILL thank you for it! 🙂

HELP! I Married someone with ADHD! {Staying organized}

by Ben GlennADHDPosted on Comments are Disabled

If you pay attention to mainstream media and what it has to say about ADHD, you could easily assume that ADHD somehow disappears once you turn 18. Completely untrue! ADHD is not something that you “grow out of” and it very much persists into adulthood.

The big difference between kids and adults with ADHD is that usually by the time you’re out of college, you will have learned a myriad of coping skills and mechanisms (that you didn’t have as a kid) that help disguise the fact that you have it. If you were diagnosed as a kid, then some of these coping skills were taught to you intentionally, if you managed to get through school without being diagnosed (which is probably the majority of those who have ADHD and are forty and older), then you learned how to cope on your own. Either way, you’re no longer bouncing in your seat, screaming out answers at meetings, flinging Milk Duds at the back of someone’s head at the movies (or maybe you are?? In which case, we need to have a chat!). And that’s great! Learning how to manage some of those negative ADHD traits is vitally important if you want to get ahead in life. And it’s likely that most of your co-workers, acquaintances and even friends have no idea that you are an adult with ADHD. Sure, you’re a little quirky and always late, but you’re also funny, outgoing and full of great ideas. ADHD is probably not the first word that comes to mind when people think of you. HOWEVER. If do have ADHD, there is absolutely no way to disguise this fact from your significant other, especially if you’ve been in the relationship for an extended period of time.

I’ve been married for almost 20 years and let me just say that it’s been quite the adventure for both my wife and I. So I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned and talk about some of the struggles in hopes that it helps you in your relationship. I’ll be working my way through topics like Finances, Communication, Parenting, Intimacy, In-Laws, and others, as well as trying to answer any questions that you want to ask.

[youtube id=”FYK1XBVRzCo”]

#117

by Ben GlennMusingsPosted on Comments are Disabled

Larry says,

ADHDers are well suited for keeping pace with our DSL high speed society. Ben gets more done in a day than any non-ADHDer I know. HE’s like the energizer bunny. His energy can be contagious & often ignites me to greater productivity. His high quantity of work is matched by high quality. Ben does need to be encouraged to focus on prioritizing & completion. Once again, that’s when I show up.

#103

by Ben GlennMusingsPosted on Comments are Disabled

A lot of people wonder how I got my start speaking and drawing. I was an 18 year old basketball player at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes summer camp where I met Bill Leach, an 80 year old performing chalk artist. Bill and I hit it off and before he passed away he encouraged me to continue on with what he had started 50 years prior. I began speaking to small church groups, but eventually expanded to speaking to school students and ultimately, educators and parents. Always wanting to remember my roots and knowing that a lot of you saw me for the first time at a Christian event, on the weekends I’m going to take a break from my goal of simplifying and finding new things that make ADHD work, and encourage you to check out a blog written by my Road Manager / Chaplin / Old guy – Larry Medcalfe called Seeking God Daily. Come Monday will be back to work on everything ADHD! Hope you enjoy Larry’s blog. God Bless you this weekend.

#67

by Ben GlennMusingsPosted on Comments are Disabled

ADHDers come up with ideas all the time, some great, and a lot not-so-great. It’s not easy to know when to encourage & when to put your foot down & say “no way”. Try your best not to have a one-size-fits-all response to every idea. It’s a tough balancing act, but learn how to read your ADHDer’s intentions before before responding.

Remember, some ideas are spontaneous and just come flying out of our mouths and are gone as soon as they are out – usually those are the wackiest things we come up with, and really there is not need for you to say so. 🙂 Then there are ideas that seem to make an appearance on a regular basis – again, depending on what the idea is sometimes all you have to do is just listen and say “oh that’s interesting dear” and nothing else and the idea will die a natural death. If your spouse or child is coming up with stuff and you’re constantly throwing cold water on their ideas, that can be an incredibly discouraging thing to deal with. Sometimes saying nothing is the best solution.